Author's Note: Another story because...why not. ~

Be warned of future odd-characterization. I have no idea why they all turned out like this..xD They just sort of did, and I can't seem to look at them in any other light. Grr! Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Aaaaand, go!

There is something about the air that tastes extremely stale today.

It's like I'm stuck in a hallway in school again, what with all these people that want to continuously bump into you and make their way down narrow pathways and shit. But at least there you know you're getting out soon. Once three fifteen hits, you're out. But now, here, I know I don't have that grace. Except when my company decides they want to ditch. I'm secretly hoping they decide to do just that sometime soon. I hate malls.

Come on already.

"So, I swore! I mean I didn't mean to curse at the guy, but he kept touching my guitar and he didn't even know how to handle it correctly! How was I supposed to know that he was a Jesus freak and would flip out?"

I'm only half-heartedly listening to him talk. Demyx changes subjects a lot, so it isn't that big of a deal if I'm not fully tuned in. All I know is that he's bickering off about how he got his ass handed to him by someone who doesn't appreciate it when they take God's name in vain. Maybe, if I cared enough, I'd laugh about it. Christians are some of the most prudish and stuck-up people sometimes. It's funny how they think they are better then everyone because of a book and an imaginary friend.

"Helloooooo, Naminé?"

...Right.

"Mhm," I say, feigning interest. From Demyx's other side there comes a small chuckle, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Be good, Naminé.

"I think you lost her amidst your mindless rambling."

Demyx makes this little scoffing noise – which is actually kind of cute, I have to admit – and looks at me, and then to Ƶexion, the culprit commenter. "I wasn't rambling and it wasn't mindless! He broke Sasha!"

And this time I do laugh, because Demyx is the only person that I know of that would name an instrument. I can sort of picture him just sitting on his floor with it, whispering to it like it was a person. Hell, knowing him he's probably done it before. And the more I continue with this thought, the more disturbing it gets so I'm just going to stop. Pay attention, pay attention.

"It was only a string. You replace those all the time."

"But that's not the point!"

"The...point is that he..tainted it," I say, and am pleased when Demyx is practically grinning at me. Well played Naminé. You got this. Who said you always need to pay attention to be right? I hate the way my voice sounds right now, but I'll stick to my mini-victories for now.

Ƶexion says something else after that, but I'm already bored. There's this couple walking behind me and I don't know how they could be so annoying; that girl has seriously not shut her mouth for five seconds since she's been tailing us. I'd wish she would just turn and go down another hall, or pass us, or shut up already because her incessant chatter is starting to get on my nerves. How is her boyfriend standing this on a daily basis? Maybe he's doing the same thing I'm doing and just half-heartedly paying attention. Poor guy. Kudos for commitment.

"Hey, Naminé, what do you say about getting something to eat?"

I hear my name this time, so I know that I'm required to actually give an insightful response.

"Sounds good."

Woo. Real deep there.

I hear this 'hmm' sound coming from Demyx, and the three of us walk over to the side of some store and stop. Decision making time. It would be annoying if we all chose a spot, and then realized we went the wrong way.

The couple that had been behind us finally starts to make their pass, and I manage to catch the look of the unlucky man getting his ear talked off. Clearly, there isn't anything going on behind those eyes, because he looks dumb as a lamp post. But that must be par for the course with such a chatterbox girlfriend...if you actually had a mind of your own, you might end up killing her just for a moment of silence. I totally would.

We've managed to re-arrange our position so that I'm in between both Ƶexion and Demyx, and they're both leaning with their backs against the wall. I probably would too if it wasn't for the fact that this is a mall and everything kind of makes me cringe. I don't want to even think about what has been spread across these walls...I might catch something just from the thought.

"Well, Ƶexion doesn't trust mall food, so anything here is out of the question I guess...um...there's this place right next store that Xion said had some decent food. We could try there?"

True story, Ƶexion hates mall food as much as I hate malls. Which is a lot. I don't like it either, but that's because I think that anything made in these establishments have to be coated with something or another. Funny thing is, he just doesn't like it because he had a bad piece of pizza from the place and ended up with food poisoning. Instead of condemning just the food place, he's sworn never to eat at any mall, ever again. I think it was a wise learning experience.

Ƶexion just grunts, and I just smile and nod my head. I don't really know Xion very well – I've only met her maybe once or twice – but she seems like she knows what's going on. She wouldn't willingly send her friend to a food hell, would she?

And with the decision made, Demyx takes the lead and starts walking ahead straight into Macy's, since apparently that's where it's next to. Ƶexion and I are following a few steps behind, and I'm almost glad. I like Demyx, I really do – he's one of the few people that I know and can actually tolerate. But...he talks way too much sometimes. Which can be nice, but I just need a break. And that's where the silver-haired emo kid comes in.

He's not emo, though. He might try and kill me if I even said that out loud.

"Have you ever been to this place?" he asks, and I can already tell that he's trying to find something to fill the silence. Probably more out of habit then anything else.

"No, I don't really go out to eat that much."

And it's true. I have a hard enough keeping food down at my own house, so I make an effort not to have to go to restaurants. No, I'm not bulimic or anything, I just...don't like food sometimes. And it's rude to eat with people and say that you don't want anything. Rule of etiquette and all that shit.

I like it when it's just Ƶexion and I. We can usually fall into comfortable silences, just being within each other's presence. I don't know how he even deals with Demyx. They're total opposites.

I will not say opposites attract. Thou shalt not, thou shalt not.

Before I manage to pull my head out of the clouds completely, we're already at the restaurant, because I hear Demyx saying "Table for three," and we're following a waiter – A pretty little brunette girl with a chipper voice who apparently likes the color orange.

Actually, now that I think about it, maybe that's just the theme of the restaurant. The walls are splashed in multicolored warm colors, and...I am not amused. I think if we added flashing lights we could have a rave, and a handful of epileptic diners.

Brunette girl leads is to a booth by one of the windows and I scoot myself into one of the sides; Ƶexion sliding next to me and Demyx following into the one across from us. She tells us that our waiter will be right with us, and that she'd love it if we could just wait right here for a moment.

No shit, do you think I would just walk in here only to walk right back out? Did someone do that before because they weren't served right as they sat down?

Actually, I can see that happening. But only at some high-class establishment...not someplace that looks like a shitload of sunburst-eruptions happened. But maybe I'm being too critical...and diving too deep into what is considered common etiquette. Damn it, Naminé. Concentrate.

I suddenly don't feel well, and I want to leave. This place is a little better then the mall, but I just really don't want to be around people. I feel like they're all trying to suffocate me, or something else completely unreasonable. So I just settle for leaning against Ƶexion, because why not. He has a comfortable shoulder. Demyx doesn't question it, instead just settles for pulling out his phone and pressing a few buttons...before the small Tetris jingle fills our area.

I shouldn't be surprised, but I totally am.

I hear Ƶexion murmur something into my ear that sounded like "are you alright," but I can't be too sure but I say "mhmm" anyway. For a moment, I close my eyes and pretend that I'm somewhere else...like in my room, on my chair, curled up with my sketchpad and my pencils because that's my sanction. People can't touch me there, because it's my own little world. If only I could learn to teleport...

"Hello, welcome to Cherrie's and I'll be your server today, my name's...Naminé?"

Wait, what?

"What?" Echoing my thoughts. I probably sounded like an idiot there. Great going.

I've got no choice but to shift myself away from Ƶexion – which I really did not want to do, he is still comfortable – and look at the guy who happened to think he could steal my name. Of course that's not it, but that's what it sounded like, or would sound like if I didn't know better. Or had a brain.

What I wasn't expecting was to look up and meet the face of a blond haired blue eyed boy that looked way too familiar for comfort. Stop staring, I really need to stop staring...

"Roxas! Dude, when did you get here!" Demyx cries, and I'm almost thankful for it because it forces him to look away from me, and me to look away from him. What the fuck.

"Hey, Dem; nice to see you too. I've actually been here for about a week or so...moved back here after some mishaps at Destiny Islands. Fucking brother."

Roxas was...well, Roxas was the only person I could ever say I "dated," in any form of the word. We both grew up in this stupid town – Twilight Town is notorious for breeding people to be trapped here and never leave. I used to be really timid, or even more timid then I am now, and I would follow him around all the time until something 'clicked' between us.

Stop thinking it was love. No way in hell. We just realized that we worked good together, and might as well say were dating to save people from constantly breathing down our backs about it. But it didn't last very long because suddenly Roxas decided he had to leave and he didn't care who he was leaving behind.

Yeah, he said that. Didn't care that he was pretty much leaving me friendless and alone. He was the first person I rose my voice to, and that was the first time that he actually hit me. For the weeks that followed of him getting ready to move, we didn't talk at all. I avoided him like the plague, and he glared at me like I was a piece of trash. Fucking jerk. Whatever. I didn't mind, but it was still annoying, sort of.

I can't believe he's standing here again.

"Sora, right? Damn, what happened? Ah! Wait, we all totally need to get together sometime!"

It's Demyx again, and I just sort of look at him before looking back at Roxas, who smiles in response. He smiled. What the fuck have I missed.

"Will you be joining us as well," he asks, while staring at Ƶexion and I've got that sudden urge to laugh again. He's still got that smile on his face, and when I look at Ƶexion, I realize he's smiling as well, though I guess you could call it more of a smirk.

"Of course."

Fun fact: Roxas and Ƶexion do not get along. It's kind of like they are locked in an everlasting gentleman's battle; they're very pleasant to one another, and while they argue it's in the form of sarcasm and metaphors. It's never with brute force or raised voices; it's all very proper. It's kind of funny to imagine them wearing top hats and monocles while bickering back and forth...

Okay, moving on. Thing of something more relevant.

"Anyway, I'm still on shift, but I'll talk to my boss and see if I can get off later or something. So.. drinks, food, can I get you anything?"

His eyes are met with mine for a moment, and I can only recall one thing – your eyes are like stale sky – and I realize I can't look at him anymore. So I settle for staring at the table in front of me like a child, because why not. Might as well continue on acting like an idiot.

Damn it. I said I didn't want to deal with people, yet get the one person I really didn't think I'd ever see again shoved in my face.

God damn it.